News Bites

Mud Island is getting two new restaurants at the River Inn hotel at 50 Harbor Town Square. Currents is a fine-dining restaurant showcasing the culinary talents of executive chef Brian Flanders, a veteran of restaurants in New England and Florida. Tugs is a casual eatery. Also downtown, Café Francisco at 400 N. Main Street has closed.

An Italian restaurant called Marciano's has opened at 780 Brookhaven Circle in East Memphis. The owner is Mortez Gerani, who had operated Marena's Gerani at 1545 Overton Park in Midtown. That location has reopened as Roustica, an Italian restaurant featuring the cooking of Kevin Rains.

In chain news, the area's third Jason's Deli has opened at 3472 Poplar Ave. in the space where the Malco Highland Quartet movie theater used to be. Pei Wei Asian Diner's newest location is on Sanderlin Ave. at Mendenhall in East Memphis.